Residency draw 1-1 with VfB Stuttgart

October 27, 200712:00 AM PDT

Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency earned an impressive 1-1 draw with the U-19 Junior Bundesliga side from VfB Stuttgart on Saturday.After playing three competitive games against U-19 Junior Bundesliga opposition during the week, Whitecaps Residency traveled west from their Bavarian base of Zwiesel on Friday to the state capital of Baden-Württemberg for Saturday morning’s friendly with Stuttgart.It proved to be the group’s best performance of their German tour to date, with Thomas Niendorf’s youngsters looking solid and keeping a compact defensive shape in their 4-4-2 formation. Their Swabian hosts also employed a 4-4-2 line-up at Stadion des TuS Metzingen, as the contest was played with high technical and tactical quality. Whitecaps Residency were a threat with their ball possession in the first half, and promptly took the lead on the half-hour mark. Randy Edwini-Bonsu played a well-timed through ball to striker partner Dever Orgill. The Jamaican U-17 international broke clear before finishing with a well-timed shot from inside the Stuttgart penalty box that nestled into the far corner of the net. In typical fashion, Orgill celebrated his goal with a back flip, as the Canadian visitors took a one-goal lead into halftime.The goal prompted Stuttgart to make several changes for the start of the second half, as they looked to get back into the contest. Their efforts were rewarded with an equalizer on 55 minutes, as the referee awarded Stuttgart a penalty for what look to a be questionable hand ball decision.Whitecaps Residency remained undeterred and battled their way to a well-deserved 1-1 result against a very good German youth side.Niendorf’s squad will now return to Bavaria and prepare for two final matches on their German tour. They will play a combined U-19/U-23 side from 1860 Munich on Tuesday before completing their schedule with a friendly against amateur club SC Zwiesel of the Lower Bavaria Bezirksoberliga on Wednesday.Whitecaps FC Residency - line-up v VfB StuttgartSimon Thomas; Antonio Rago, Adam Straith, Anthony DiNicolo, Navid Mashinchi; Kyle Porter (Devin Gunenc 70’), Ethan Gage, Gagandeep Dosanjh (Philippe Davies 70’), Alex Semenets; Randy Edwini-Bonsu, Dever Orgill (Marcus Johnstone 66’)